Installation Guide

surface for the adhesives.
ii. Concrete floors shall be smooth and level to prevent irregularities, roughness or other defects from
telegraphing through the new resilient flooring. The surface of the slab shall be flat to within 3/16” in 10 feet.
Slopes shall be less than 1/16” in 2 feet. Uneven areas should be mechanically ground to smoothness.
iii. Cracks, depressions or other similar irregularities should be leveled using a suitable Portland cement based
patching compound. Follow the patch manufacturer’s instructions regarding mixing and applications.
iv. Overly porous, dusty, flaky or soft concrete surfaces are not suitable for resilient floor coverings. It may be
necessary to mechanically remove the top layer concrete in such cases and/or these surfaces may need to
be primed and covered with a cement based underlayment compound. Follow the patching or leveling compound
manufacturer’s instructions regarding preparation of the concrete surface, priming, mixing of the product,
thickness of application and drying time for resilient floor covering installation.
v. Expansion joints, isolation joints, control joints or other moving joints in the concrete slab shall not be filled
with patching compound or covered with resilient flooring.
2. Gypsum and Lightweight Cellular Concrete Substrates
Gypsum and lightweight concrete subfloors and substrates should in accordance with the listed standards in 2.a. below.
Unprimed gypsum and gypcrete surfaces may have a dusty surface and a very open, porous surface, which will lead to an adhesion
bond failure if not properly sealed and treated. It is the responsibility of the installation contractor to obtain verification from the
general contractor, architect, owner or party responsible for the site that the gypsum was properly sealed with the gypsum manufac-
turer’s recommended sealer. If this data is not available conduct testing according to the appropriate ASTM Test Method for Gypsum
Surfaces.
a. Gypsum surfaces shall be in accordance with and properly prepared according to the appropriate ASTM specifications
as listed in the above Reference Section.
b. Conduct a surface porosity test to ensure that the surface is properly sealed. If the water is quickly absorbed stop
the installation and contact Novalis
Technical Services at 866-NOVALIS or [e-mail].
c. Check moisture content of the gypsum substrate via the appropriate method according to the ASTM Standards listed
above. Moisture content of the subfloor/substrate shall not exceed the adhesive requirements or 75% RH or
3 lbs./1,000 sqft./24 hrs. MVER. When using the D4263 Test Method no discoloration of the surface should be found.
d. All patching compounds shall be recommended for use with gypsum, gypcrete or lightweight cellular concrete
surfaces by the patching compound manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding mixing, use and
application.
e. All gypsum surfaces must be properly primed according to the gypsum manufacturer’s instructions; or where
applicable follow the instructions of the adhesive manufacturer if there is no recommendation from the gypsum
manufacturer.
3. Wood Subfloors
a. A combination of wood subfloor and panel underlayment construction shall be a minimum of 1” in total thickness.
b. There shall be at least 18” of well-ventilated air space beneath all wood subfloors. Crawl spaces shall be insulated
and protected by a suitable vapor barrier.
c. Wood subfloors installed directly on concrete or over “sleeper” joist systems are not acceptable for use under
AUGUST 2016 4
Direct Glue Flooring
Installation Instructions